HIS GLORIOUS AND SUDDEN APPEARING

HIS GLORIOUS AND SUDDEN APPEARING

Message From Pastor (Dr) E. O. Abina,

The General Overseer of GOFAMINT

“Therefore, you [who follow Me] must also be ready; because the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him, Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes (nations) of the earth will mourn over Him [realizing their sin and guilt, and anticipating the coming wrath]. So it is to be. Amen. (AMP) (Matt. 24:44; Rev.1:7)

The second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to the world seems to be an impossible event to the contemporary world. Even the church itself seems to be lukewarm about this important and inevitable event. In the scripture passages of this message, when the Lord Jesus was talking about His Second Coming, He indicated that He will come back at a time when He is least expected. Looking at what is happening all over the world today, especially in the area of achievements which the world has made in our time, it appears that the world is passing through a period of dangerous prosperity. People enjoy all the facilities that God made available for the joy of human beings whom God Himself created. The promise of the Second Coming of the Lord must surely come to pass as the promise of His first advent.

It is a promise which the Lord Jesus Himself made which will surely be fulfilled. He said “… heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away”(Luke 21:33).

We should therefore take the subject and event of the Lord’s second coming more serious than ever before. The church should not develop a lukewarm attitude to the matter of the Lord’s second coming no matter what is going on in the world. The Lord Jesus also referred to the event of the deluge which happened in the days of Noah as example of His coming. In those days, the earth was full of acts of wickedness and evil until they provoked the love and patience of their creator which resulted in the destruction of the then world, only Noah and his household were spared because they believed what God said He would do and be ready at anytime the Lord will appear.

Our preparation for the glorious event should include areas of preparing ourselves by living the life that would match the kingdom of God and preaching to save the souls of humans whom the Lord suffered and died for. The church should not allow the pleasures of this present world captivate her that she should sleep and be unconcerned about the event. Our attitude should be like that of Lot who when the Lord was about to destroy the cities of Sodom & Gomorrah escaped with his household only his wife who disobeyed the instruction of the angels not to look back suffered loss (see Gen. 19:20-26). To be forewarned is to be forearmed. We should also develop an attitude of concern for members of our house and the world at large by preaching the gospel of salvation through faith in Jesus to all our relatives and the whole world, as much as we can. We cannot afford to be lukewarm so that the event should take us unaware. We should be concerned about the salvation of others. There is only one Savior Jesus Christ who is the only way to the Father. There will be joy for all who have been waiting, preparing, announcing, preaching and living the life that fits the kingdom at Christ’s appearing; but sorrow and anguish would be for the world and alas the so-called Christians who only are professors of Christ and not possessors of Christ. You need to examine yourself of who you are. Christ in us is the hope of glory.

The apostles and the early church preached the gospel; they spent their lives and their resources for the spread of the gospel. The church today should not do anything less. We should therefore preach the gospel, fasten our belts, live the Christ-like life and be ready for our Lord’s glorious appearing. I pray that you and I will be indeed among those who will rejoice at His glorious appearing and to be with Him forever. Amen. Please share the good news.